Neut, a century-old company specialized in orthopedics, uses 3D technologies in its custom-made medical corsets, a real technological shift that provides many advantages for patients...
Neut, a French company based in Saint-André-les-Vergers (10), Paris and Versailles, and operating throughout the Ile-de-France and Champagne regions, uses its expertise to manufacture a wide range of custom-made appliances, particularly for patients requiring corsets (post-operative, treatment, corrective) to provide relief.
As a manufacturer of top-of-the-range, high-performance orthopedic equipment and constantly on the lookout for new technologies and innovative products to meet the needs of patients and professionals alike, Neut's teams were convinced by the use of 3D technologies in the manufacture of orthopedic equipment.
The aim is to offer state-of-the-art prostheses and orthoses in terms of manufacturing techniques, materials and equipment, for both mass-produced and custom-made items.
Enhance patient comfort during corset measurements
Before the use of Artec 3D scanners, the corset manufacturing process systematically involved making a plaster cast directly on the patient's body. The bust was then closed, cast and sculpted by hand. This time-consuming, physical and uncomfortable operation could be felt as oppressive, even traumatic, especially for the youngest patients; the phase of cutting the mold with a vibrating saw was also an uncomfortable and impressive stage, especially for children (and their parents).
This corset-making operation, which took at least three days, was also very messy for the patient. It had to be carried out in a plaster room, and required a great deal of handling of the sometimes very heavy molds. Whereas sculpting and rectification used to be carried out by hand, Neut's orthoprosthetists have used 3D scanning technologies to recreate corset models down to the finest detail.
Technology now makes it possible to treat patients who are unable to stand up, safely and with minimum handling. CT scanning enables patients to be scanned while lying in bed, without the need to move, thus reducing discomfort, stress and physical effort. Scanning, performed with millimeter precision, is much faster and much more pleasant for both patient and applicator.
Faster, more precise, mobile 3D technology
In order to produce scans tailored to its needs, in line with its specifications and enabling every detail of the patient's body to be reproduced, Neut opted to acquire 5 Artec Eva Lite scanners.
As well as being easy to handle, the Eva Lite 3D scanner features pulsed light technology that provides no interference in the hospital environment or instrumentation room, which was an important prerequisite given Neut's field of activity, which regularly performs scans in hospitals after patients have undergone surgery.
" The scanner's millimeter-accuracy is also a major advantage over other technologies, such as mobile applications on tablets, which are less precise and require a lot of manual correction. "explains Alexandre Neut, Managing Director and orthoprosthetist at Neut. " The Artec Eva Lite scanner automatically corrects inaccuracies, even if the patient moves during the scanning phase. "
The mobility of Artec Eva Lite was also a strong point in Neut's choice. Being able to transport the scanner is a major advantage for applicators, who can carry out scans in any location (hospitals, doctors' surgeries, rehabilitation centers, etc.).
3D technologies to revolutionize orthopedics
In a second phase, the corset models are optimized on the computer using Artec Studio data processing software, which enables users to produce, edit and process 3D data, whatever the size or resolution of the object.
Each scan then requires a few minutes of computer processing. Once digitized, the scans are then processed and exported to dedicated orthopedic software.
The software enables corrections and adjustments to be made according to pathologies. The file is then sent to a digital milling machine, which mills the positive mold from a polyurethane block (1 kg bust).
For all scanned patients, the software also enables the digital history of certain devices to be updated, so that digitized casts can be reused from one year to the next, in the event of renewal, thus avoiding Neut's cumbersome storage of plaster positives, which can weigh up to 50kg.
" We were able to pass a technological milestone thanks to the R&D provided by Artec 3D. We are now able to carry out hundreds of manual operations virtually, and transcribe them in digital form. It also turns out that many of our employees, especially the younger ones, are eager to learn about these new technologies, which are revolutionizing the daily lives of patients, orthoprosthetists and manufacturing workshops. We are very satisfied with our collaboration with Artec 3D via our partner CADVision who have been providing us with the best advice and support for many years. "
In the future, we plan to extend the use of 3D technologies to design patterns for the manufacture of orthopedic shoes, but also for the lining of medical devices, thanks to the ability to transform a 3D file into 2D.
" Our century-old craftsmanship has evolved and embraced technology, opening up to new ways of doing, seeing and designing. "concludes Alexandre Neut
